Description
Shoyu Chicken is a popular Hawaiian dish featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a flavorful soy sauce-based marinade with garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. It’s savory, slightly sweet, and perfect served over rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless, skin-on optional)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
- 2 tablespoons water (for cornstarch slurry, optional)
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir to mix.
- Add chicken thighs to the pot, making sure they’re mostly submerged in the sauce.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30–40 minutes, turning chicken occasionally.
- If desired, mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry and stir into the pot. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove from heat and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
- Serve hot over steamed white rice or noodles.
Notes
- Bone-in thighs offer more flavor, but boneless thighs work for quicker cooking.
- Adjust sweetness by reducing or increasing brown sugar to taste.
- This dish stores well and tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 1280mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 130mg